China Warns Of 'Grave Consequences' Over Arrest Of Huawei Executive

Garrett Mcdonald |Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Huawei's Meng faces charges over alleged conspiracy to defraud banks

When asked to comment on news reports that Meng Wanzhou, the 46-year-old chief financial officer of Huawei, is suffering from health problems, the diplomat said the Canadian detention "violates her human rights". Meng said in the sworn affidavit she was taken to a hospital for treatment for hypertension after being detained.

Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver airport as she changed planes on December 1, accused of violating American sanctions against Iran.

Paris was responding to reports from Beijing that China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had summoned Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade USA trade curbs on Iran.

China formally protested to the ambassadors of both Canada and the United States over the weekend.

News of the arrest of the 46-year-old Meng, along with the uncertain state of trade negotiations between China and the USA, the world's two biggest economies, roiled global stock markets last week, with investors facing substantial losses across the globe.

Since at least 2016, the United States has been looking into whether Huawei shipped US-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of USA export and sanctions laws, Reuters reported in April.

Ms. Meng was arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the US for months, even though her teenage son attends school in Boston, Mr. Gibb-Carsley added. Meng will be back in the court for a bail hearing on Monday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he was given a few days notice of the plan to arrest Meng, but there had been no political involvement in the actions of Canadian legal authorities.

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, who faces U.S. fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, has infuriated Beijing, stoking tensions amid a trade war truce between China and the US. President Donald Trump's trade team sought to insulate talks with China from the growing dispute on Sunday, while officials in Beijing have debated the pros and cons of retaliation.

"Ms. Meng personally represented to those banks that Skycom and Huawei were separate when in fact they were not separate", said Crown Counsel John Gibb-Carsley.

China has warned Canada that it would face grave consequences if it does not release Meng immediately.

An editorial published on China Daily's website on Sunday stated: "It is to be hoped that Canada will not simply hold a candle while the devil does its dirty deeds". Ltd. Meng Wanzhou, who is now being held in Canada, is seeking bail due to health concerns.

On Sunday, Chinese officials summoned the US ambassador to Beijing to protest Ms. Meng's detention.

Since July world markets have been unsettled after continued animosity between the nations with Washington imposing tariffs on $250bn of Chinese goods with Beijing imposing duties on $110bn on U.S. goods. Huawei has said it abides by U.S. and United Nations sanctions legislation. And that would be illegal due to current USA sanctions against that country.

On Friday, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters Canada's relationship with China was important, and the country's ambassador in Beijing has assured the Chinese consular access will be provided to Meng.

It's unlikely that any trade deals would have been signed under the circumstances, since it could appear to Chinese citizens that the Chinese government was rewarding Canada for the arrest, he said.

In addition to her role as CFO, Meng serves as deputy chairwoman of Huawei's board.

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